Regional Overview
The heat is on again. That’s especially true in the northeast corner of Wyoming, but the mercury is plenty high throughout the state. The good news is the chance of cooling afternoon thunderstorms increases later this week and into next week. To toss a line, get out early if you hope to enjoy blue skies. When the clouds roll in later in the afternoon, keep an eye out for more severe thunderstorms, should hail and winds accompany the clouds. With the heat comes continuing high fire risk. When heading out for an outing, check ahead of time on any restrictions in place where you plan to camp. Follow the adage: Know before you go. Open fires are restricted in many, if not most, areas.
Ranking Categories
H (One fish) – to ensure fish dinner, go to the local grocery store
HHHHH (Five fish) – toss a line and get a fish; the fish aren’t picky
Granite, Crystal and North Crow reservoirs
HHH
The buzz: Anglers report good action in the early morning and into the late afternoon and evening. With all the mountain bike and hiking trails, there’s plenty to do. Fish in the morning and evenings, then hit the trails to hike or bike in the middle of the day when the fishing slows.
Suggested bait, lures and flies:
Nightcrawlers
Small spinners, such as Panther Martins
Renegades
Prince nymphs
Copper Johns
Gold ribbed hare’s ears
Elk hair caddis
Royal coachman
Grasshoppers
Sloans and Absarraca lakes
HH½
The buzz: The town lakes are good in the mornings and evenings. It gets pretty slow in the middle of the day.
Suggested bait, lures and flies:
Worms
Powerbait
Salmon eggs
Adams
Copper Johns
Renegades
Pole Mountain
HHH
The buzz: It’s that time of year when the smaller beaver ponds tend to slow down, and moss buildup makes it important to have good aim when casting. Still, the brook trout are active and hungry, with the best action in the mornings and evenings. Those ponds with deeper water are the best bet. Solitude is scarce in easily-accessible areas. To avoid the crowds, plan to hike or bike to get away from the main roads.
Suggested bait, lures and flies:
Nightcrawlers
Prince nymphs
Hare’s ears
Pheasant tails
Copper Johns
Elk hair caddis
Adams
Beetles
Ants
Laramie Plains lakes
HHH
The buzz: The fishing is good to very good across the basin. The best action is at Twin Buttes and Meebour, while it’s also pretty good at Leasenby and Sodergreen. It has picked up at Alsop. The fishing is best from boats at Lake Hattie, with anglers bringing in trout, as well as a few kokanee salmon. Gelatt Lake was recently hit with low oxygen conditions in the lake, resulting in the loss of hundreds of trout and smaller non-game fish. Some fish survived, and anglers report catching some fish, but obviously the number of fish in the lake took a big hit.
Suggested bait, lures and flies:
Rapalas
Thomas buoyants
Nightcrawlers
Salmon eggs
Chironomids
Thin mints
Hothead leeches
Renegades
Laramie River
HHH
The buzz: The river continues to drop, and the fishing is good with evening and morning dry fly action. As the water warms up, avoid tossing a line in the middle of the day, especially if you’re planning to catch and release. The added stress of being caught could prove fatal to the fish.
Suggested bait, lures and flies:
Nightcrawlers
Salmon eggs
Pale morning duns
Stoneflies
Prince nymphs
Copper Johns
Halfbacks
Snowy Range
HHH
The buzz: The action is good to excellent across the Medicine Bow Mountains, from the lower elevations on up to the highest lakes, such as the Gap Lakes or Sheep Lake. Heading to the higher elevations is an excellent option to escape the heat, and the fishing window broadens, thanks to the cooler temperatures. Expect possible thunderstorms in the afternoons.
Suggested bait, lures and flies:
Nightcrawlers
Hothead leeches
Royal wulff
Bead head prince nymphs
Ants
Beetles
Zug bugs
Hare’s ears
North Platte River and Encampment River – Saratoga Valley
HHH
The buzz: The upper reaches of the North Platte River are fishing well, with the water flow down considerably for this time of year. Water level is great for wading, but poor for floating.
Suggested bait, lures and flies:
Brown trout rooster tail
Elk hair caddis
Thin mints
Pat’s rubber legs
Yellow sally nymphs
Copper Johns
Halfbacks
Ants
Beetles
North Platte River – Grey Reef
HHH
The buzz: The fishing is good to excellent, with some great dry fly action for those willing to get started early. Moss is a problem in the upper reaches, making casting tricky. The water level remains steady around 2,400 cubic feet per second. The river is crowded, especially on weekends.
Suggested bait, lures and flies:
Thomas spoons
Kastmasters
Sparkle worms
Otter eggs
Pine squirrel leeches
Tasmanian devils
Hothead leeches
Pine squirrels
Grasshoppers
North Platte River – Miracle Mile
HH½
The buzz: The Mile is flowing clear, and the action is good to very good. It’s that time of year when grasshoppers are a good bet.
Suggested bait, lures and flies:
Nightcrawlers
Panther martins
Rooster tails
Grasshoppers
Blue-winged olives
Wooly buggers
Bead-head nymphs
Pat’s rubber legs
Parachute Adams
Orange blossom specials
Wheatland Reservoir No. 3
HHH
The buzz: The fishing is hit or miss, but the best action is late in the afternoon to evening. Those fishing from boats are having better luck compared to those casting from the bank.
Suggest bait, lures and flies:
Worms
Powerbait
Cyclones
Slender spoons
Bead head prince nymphs
Black or olive woolly buggers
Squirrel leeches
San Juan worms
Glendo
HH½
The buzz: The walleye fishing is good. The annual silt run with the lowering of Guernsey Reservoir is nearly over for this year, with the release of water from Glendo Reservoir to refill Guernsey Reservoir starting this Saturday. Guernsey Reservoir will reach normal level by July 30. There’s no current report on the status of the boat ramp at Bennett Hill that ripped in half. It is likely still in the process of being repaired.
Suggest bait, lures and flies:
Bottom bouncers
Leeches (jigging)
Nightcrawlers on worm harnesses
Crankbaits
Hawk Springs
H½
The buzz: The action is slow, especially with the annual uptick in other recreational activities that are exactly helpful for those tossing a line.
Suggest bait, lures and flies:
Leeches
Night crawlers with worm harnesses
Blood baits (for catfish – in the liver, chicken, shad flavors)
Grayrocks Reservoir
HHH
The buzz: The action is slow in the middle of the day, but is good in the relative cool of the morning and evening.
Suggest bait, lures and flies:
Rapalas
Leeches
Nightcrawlers with worm harnesses
Reservoir levels
Alcova: 98.0% full
Boysen: 95.6% full
Guernsey: 2.6% full
Glendo: 65.3% full
Gray Reef: 96.8% full
Keyhole: 75.9% full
Pathfinder: 69.3% full
Seminoe: 41.6% full
River flows
North Platte River at Northgate: 113 cubic feet per second
North Platte River above Seminoe Reservoir: 264 cfs
North Platte River near Miracle Mile: 1,902 cfs
North Platte River at Gray Reef: 2,401 cfs
Encampment River near town of Encampment: 37 cfs
Encampment River at Hog Park: 40 cfs
Laramie River near Laramie: 50 cfs
Boat ramp openings
Glendo Reservoir: All ramps are open.
Guernsey Reservoir: All ramps are closed.
Boysen Reservoir: All ramps are open.
Seminoe Reservoir: All ramps are open except Medicine Bow and North Red Hills 1.
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